US Scientists Not Convinced Of One-Shot Regimen For Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines: WSJ

The U.S. government scientists are reportedly pushing back against calls for one-dose regimens for Pfizer Inc’s (NYSE: PFE)/BioNtech SE’s (NASDAQ: BNTX) and Moderna Inc (NASDAQ: MRNA) COVID-19 vaccines that are designed to be administered with two shots.

• The Wall Street Journal cited that one dose may offer short-term protection, but the longer-term protection is a question mark.
• A letter to acting Health and Human Services Secretary Norris Cochran urged “to consider issuing a revised emergency use authorization as soon as possible” that might lead to single-dose use of the PFE and MRNA shots.
• But according to some senior government scientists at the FDA and the National Institutes of Health, such a shift isn’t warranted, as PFE and MRNA vaccines efficacy were based on two doses.
• “You would be flying blind to just use one dose,” said one senior scientist and adviser to President Biden. “If you’re going to do something else other than following the studies shown to the FDA, show me that this one-shot effect is durable.”
• Price Action: MRNA shares are trading 2.1% lower at $129.01, PFE shares are down 0.4% at $34.25, and BNTX shares are down 1.6% at $94.62 in premarket on the last check Monday.